Identifying False Information and Propaganda

By Tim Gamble

   Between Shadows and Light.

The #1 rule for identifying false information and propaganda: Always think for yourself! Don't blindly trust any source, even sources you like. Even sources that say what you want them to say. Think through the material. Is it logical? Does it fit with what you already know to be true? Is it verifiable? Are there multiple sources? What are the biases for the sources? Realize ALL sources are biased, even your favorite ones, and even me. Seek to understand that bias and how it may taint the information presented. Is the material being presented in a neutral way, or are they using emotional language to sway your thinking? 

Propaganda, and it is ALL propaganda to some extent, can contain useful information and actual facts. Propaganda does not automatically mean lies. This is why you have to Always think for yourself, so that you can identify an d separate the good and useful from the bad and distracting. 

In 2018, Sweden distributed a "Be Prepared for War" booklet to all 4.8 million Swedish households, urging all Swedes to be prepared for war or other major crisis in the near future.

The 20-page booklet, entitled Om krisen eller kriget kommer (English: If Crisis or War Comes), explains how people can secure basic needs such as food, water, heat, and communications, explains what various warning signals mean, when and where to seek bomb shelters, and how to contribute to Sweden’s “total defense," among other topics. You can read my detailed review of the booklet by clicking here, as well as find links to downloadable versions of it. 

What I want to look at in this article is the advice given for identifying false information and propaganda. 

Be on the lookout for false information. 

The Swedish booklet expresses concern over false information being spread, either through unfounded rumors or as part of intentional misinformation campaigns. It gives this advice: "The best protection against false information and hostile propaganda is to critically appraise the source:

• Is this factual information or opinion? 
• What is the aim of this information? 
• Who has put this out? 
• Is the source trustworthy? 
• Is this information available somewhere else?
• Is this information new or old and why is it out there at this precise moment?"

A big concern about misinformation is that it's "aim may be to reduce our resilience and willingness to defend ourselves." At one point in the booklet, it states: "If Sweden is attacked by another country, we will never give up. All information to the effect that resistance is to cease is false."

"Critically appraise the source." This is good advice not just for Swedes, but far all peoples. Never blindly trust anyone, even your own government. Never blindly trust anyone, even those you claim to be on your side. Always appraise the source, and ask those questions.

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